The name Rhyner is tied to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of England. It comes from the baptismal name Rainer, which was taken from the Old Germanic name Raginhari which means counsel and army. Baptismal names began to appear as surnames relatively late in the growth of the naming tradition. This is a little surprising, given the popularity of biblical figures in the Christian countries of Europe. Nevertheless, surnames derived from baptismal names grew in popularity during the Middle Ages, and have become one of the foremost sources for surnames.

Early Origins of the Rhyner family

The surname Rhyner was first found in Devon where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the census rolls taken by the ancient Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects. There is also an entry in the Domesday Book 1086)) listing a Rogerus filius Rainardi, Rainart in Norfolk.

Early History of the Rhyner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rhyner research.Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1589, 1661 and 1649 are included under the topic Early Rhyner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rhyner Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Rhyner has undergone many spelling variations, including Reynard, Reynardson, Renhard, Renyard, Reinard and many more.

Early Notables of the Rhyner family (pre 1700)

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Migration of the Rhyner family to the New World and Oceana

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Rhyner were among those contributors: Johnis Rynard, who was on record in New York in 1687; Joan Reynard, who came to America from Ireland in 1740; Caspar Reynard, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1751.

Contemporary Notables of the name Rhyner (post 1700)

Staff Sergeant Zachary Rhyner, American Combat Controller (CCT) in the United States Air Force, posthumous recipient of the Air Force Cross for his actions in the Battle of Shok Valley